CBS, WaPo get early retiree cash from Obamacare

Two mainstream news organizations are receiving hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars from Obamacare's Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP) - a $5 billion grant program that's doling out cash to companies, states and labor unions in what the Obama administration considers an effort to pay for health insurance for early retirees. The Washington Post Company raked in $573,217 in taxpayer subsidies and CBS Corporation secured $722,388 worth of Americans' money.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee has a devastating response:

"It is fine with me if they continue covering the ObamaCare debate," said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, in an e-mail to The Daily Caller. "When NBC used to cover energy issues, they identified themselves as a subsidiary of General Electric. CBS and Washington Post just have to disclose that they are subsidiaries of the Obama Administration."

The more we find out about this $5 billion fund, the more questions it raises about cronyism and favoritism in government.

At a Friday morning hearing, the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, chaired by Rep. Cliff Stearns, Florida Republican, asked Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight (CCIO) official Steven Larsen for how the administration decides who gets a slice of the $5 billion pie - and how the application process works. In his response, Stearns referred to the fact that corporations like General Electric, Verizon and AT&T in addition to several labor unions were getting taxpayer funding.Stearns was not impressed. "This program is providing ‘free' money to corporations, states, unions, and pension plans," the Congressman said in an e-mail to TheDC. "In addition, the Washington Post and CBS received funding under this program. How can the Washington Post and CBS be impartial on the issue of health care when they received funding under the health care law?"CBS Corporation spokesman Gil Schwartz told TheDC that newsroom employees, like any other CBS employees, are indeed allowed to take the taxpayer subsidies.

"Yes they are," Schwartz said. "Why wouldn't newsroom employees be allowed access to that money like all other CBS employees?"

Two mainstream news organizations are receiving hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars from Obamacare's Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP) - a $5 billion grant program that's doling out cash to companies, states and labor unions in what the Obama administration considers an effort to pay for health insurance for early retirees. The Washington Post Company raked in $573,217 in taxpayer subsidies and CBS Corporation secured $722,388 worth of Americans' money.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee has a devastating response:

"It is fine with me if they continue covering the ObamaCare debate," said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, in an e-mail to The Daily Caller. "When NBC used to cover energy issues, they identified themselves as a subsidiary of General Electric. CBS and Washington Post just have to disclose that they are subsidiaries of the Obama Administration."

The more we find out about this $5 billion fund, the more questions it raises about cronyism and favoritism in government.

At a Friday morning hearing, the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, chaired by Rep. Cliff Stearns, Florida Republican, asked Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight (CCIO) official Steven Larsen for how the administration decides who gets a slice of the $5 billion pie - and how the application process works. In his response, Stearns referred to the fact that corporations like General Electric, Verizon and AT&T in addition to several labor unions were getting taxpayer funding.

Stearns was not impressed. "This program is providing ‘free' money to corporations, states, unions, and pension plans," the Congressman said in an e-mail to TheDC. "In addition, the Washington Post and CBS received funding under this program. How can the Washington Post and CBS be impartial on the issue of health care when they received funding under the health care law?"

CBS Corporation spokesman Gil Schwartz told TheDC that newsroom employees, like any other CBS employees, are indeed allowed to take the taxpayer subsidies.

"Yes they are," Schwartz said. "Why wouldn't newsroom employees be allowed access to that money like all other CBS employees?"